1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spindle collet chuck, and more particularly, to a spindle collet chuck with a novel mounting self centering and quick connect aspect.
2. Description of Related Art
The known conventional collet chuck for holding rotating bits installed on spindle shaft of a machine tool includes a chuck body with a collar which is flush mounted to a mounting face of a spindle using screws. The conventional collet chuck has a problem that a gap is often left between the mounting face of the spindle shaft and the mounting face of the chuck collet due to surface variations. These variances between the components are due to tolerances. Attempts to rectify the resulting variance have been made to enable the installation in which the collet chuck and in turn, tool, is positioned with respect to the spindle shaft in a concentric manner. One such way requires that the chuck body include a plurality of indexing screws which are used to align the collet chuck body, and in turn the spindle nose in concentric relation with the spindle shaft. Other concentricity techniques use the tapered center for mounting and centering via a drawbar in the spindle, however, they do not mount to the end of the spindle. While this enables good centering, upon release of the drawbar, it releases the entire holding device as opposed to just the tool needing to be changed and thus is more costly. Existing face mounts to the end of the spindle have problems with achieving concentricity and require clearance for attachment to the spindle. A further problem resides in the need for quick interchange of tool parts.
Such prior designs have yet to meet the expectations in the field. Such prior techniques are time consuming and difficult to align and or change out tool parts. There remains a need to simplify and improve collet chuck—spindle connections to quickly enable concentricity to be achieved and quick interchangeability of tool parts. The present invention meets such prior needs.